: an unexpected usually disconcerting challenge, revelation, or catch
The program has a few gotchas for unsuspecting computer users.
also
: an attempt to embarrass, expose, or disgrace someone (such as a politician) with a gotcha
… the moderators' claim that … a more or less uninterrupted stream of … gotchas was justified by focusing the debate on 'electability'. —
Josh Marshall
Josh Marshall Examples of gotcha in a Sentence
The program has a few gotchas in store for unsuspecting computer users.
the gotcha in the low monthly rate quoted by the cable company is that it is a teaser and good for only six months
Recent Examples on the Web
There is little doubt that this is a rapidly developing field and that there are tremendous upsides to be had, but at the same time, regrettably, hidden risks and outright gotchas come into these endeavors, too.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
In a partial charade guise arranged by Mike Cristaldi, the team’s vice president of communications, and his longtime TV partner Eric Collins, Curry was the victim of a gotcha moment.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
The gotcha setup sustains a solid level of suspense that carries through the series’ eight episodes (though it could easily have been trimmed to six).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Her owner, Taylor Madison, first shared the heartwarming video two years ago on TikTok and reposted it on the account to celebrate the second anniversary of the pup's gotcha day.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gotcha
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
In a partial charade guise arranged by Mike Cristaldi, the team’s vice president of communications, and his longtime TV partner Eric Collins, Curry was the victim of a gotcha moment.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2026
The gotcha setup sustains a solid level of suspense that carries through the series’ eight episodes (though it could easily have been trimmed to six).
—Randy Myers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Her owner, Taylor Madison, first shared the heartwarming video two years ago on TikTok and reposted it on the account to celebrate the second anniversary of the pup's gotcha day.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 29 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gotcha
Cite this Entry
“Gotcha.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gotcha. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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